Hearing loss decisions — 2011

The Veteran has bilateral hearing loss that is as likely as not related to his active duty service. The Board finds the Veteran's and his sister's reports sufficient to establish a positive nexus between his in-service acoustic trauma and his current bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has determined that the Veteran is not entitled to service connection for bilateral hearing loss or a back disorder, but finds that he currently has tinnitus and it is related to his military noise exposure. Service connection for tinnitus is granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's lung disability and bilateral hearing loss are not related to service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss, residuals of a left upper extremity injury including radiculopathy (claimed as left shoulder and arm injury), and cervical spine disability to allow for further development.

The VA has determined that the appellant's bilateral hearing loss does not warrant a rating higher than 10 percent.

The Board found that the Appellant did not have hearing loss or tinnitus during his period of active duty for training (ACDUTRA) from February 1961 to August 1961, and thus could not establish service connection based on direct service connection. The Appellant's lay statements regarding current disabilities were deemed insufficient to meet the burden of proof.

The Board has remanded the case for further action, including scheduling a hearing and clarifying the appellant's representation status.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current left ear hearing loss disability for VA purposes and therefore, service connection cannot be granted.

The Veteran's claim for a higher disability rating for bilateral sensorineural hearing loss was denied, but the RO reduced her disability rating from 10% to noncompensable effective August 1, 2011. The reduction was proper as it followed procedural guidelines.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss is related to in-service noise exposure and grants service connection for this condition.

The Board found no current evidence of fungal otitis externa, bilateral hearing loss, or tinnitus. The Veteran's service connection claims for these conditions were denied.

The Veteran's claim of service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied as there is no current diagnosis of hearing impairment to the level required for VA purposes.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is being remanded due to incomplete development of his National Guard service records and the need for a medical opinion regarding the etiology of his hearing loss.

The Veteran's initial claim for a compensable rating for service-connected bilateral hearing loss was denied as his hearing acuity did not meet the criteria for any higher evaluation.

The Veteran's initial claim for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss has been denied as his hearing acuity does not meet the criteria for any higher rating.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for a TDIU, including on an extra-schedular basis.

The Board finds that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are causally related to his military service, granting service connection for both conditions.

The Board found that a left ear hearing loss disability did not manifest in active military service or to a compensable degree within one year of separation, and is not otherwise related to noise exposure during active service.

The Board found that the Veteran's hearing loss of the left ear did not manifest during service and is not related to military noise exposure. As such, the claim for service connection was denied.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to address the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including lumbar stenosis with herniated disc and radiculitis, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, residuals of frostbite to both hands, residuals of frostbite to both feet, and left lower shin dermatitis. The case will be returned to the RO after completion of this development.